Quoting Pilot21 (Reply 2):I think the question why they haven't merged before now has been asked quite a few times on various threads here

Libyan is more the typical O/D carrier for travel to and from Libya
Afriqiyah wanted to use Tripoli as a hub and form a mini-Emirates with cheap flights between Europe and Africa. Smaller African countries like Mali, Ivory Coast, Cameroon were expensive to fly to, often monopolized by Air France or Brussels airlines. Many of their passengers weren't even aware they have to fly via Libya.

I think the A-330 crash have put a big dent on Afriqiyah's credibility and its name (intentionally without Libya in it) is weakened somewhat, so that's why they can better combine both products (O/D and connecting traffic) under the Libyan umbrella from now on, have economies of scale while the name 'Libyan' is not likely to scare away more people then 'Afriqiyah'

It is interesting to see what will be the outcome of this. I like the line about "waiting for government approval". It implies that there is some sort of process going on. Approval for such matters normally comes from only one place.

Your reasoning is good, but nothing is happening here for economic reasons. TIP isn't DXB and they actually don't have much interest in opening TIP as a tourist stopover point. People may go via TIP if it is cheap enough, but are simply nervous of going via Libya. Shame really, as if you fly 8U you can currently get a 3 day transit visa on arrival, so plenty of time to have a look around Tripoli, Leptis Magna, Sabratha etc...

To no one will we sell, or deny, or delay, right or justice - Magna Carta, 1215

Rumor is the combined carrier will retain the Afriqiyah name with the Libyan aircraft focusing on the domestic and close in market. The Afriqiyah side will continue to focus on the more international traffic.

The aircraft currently going to Libyan will be used to expand internationally. China is supposedly set to begin in Nov from AHU on a twice weekly basis. Daily service to AUH will begin then also with the 330 2 days/week and the 320 5 days/week.

Also a code share has been signed with EY.

Other rumored destinations are Moscow, Nairobi and perhaps LHR and twice weekly Nouakchott started last week.

Quoting PlymSpotter (Reply 1):I think the question why they haven't merged before now has been asked quite a few times on various threads here. Makes sense.

I believe this may very well have to do with Gaddhafi's diminishing interest in his Pan-Africa project. Since he was not allowed to continue as President of the African Union, he no longer sees himself as the 'King of African Kings' as he so unashamedly once called himself.

Anyways politics aside, this is surely better to combine the 2 airlines and streamline their operations. Libyan would have to continue to focus on transit passengers though, hopefully with an improved airport infrastructure in Tripoli.

Obviously for anybody on this site it's difficult to realize, but I doubt much people remember the crash, even if it's a recent one. It was just not news for long, and nobody knew the name of the company anyway, so it makes sense to keep it. Of course, if you google it it's another story (the difficulty to write it right might help).

New Technology is the name we give to stuff that doesn't work yet. Douglas Adams

in Holland it remains a big story as 70 dutch people died, but indeed I didn't realize enough that elsewhere it's not an intriguing 'major' crash , with an airline everyone knows and a mysterious cause, like AF447.

I think a lot of people would like to know why the plane crashed, including Airbus. I actually thought it was the LN brand disappearing, which from my purely personal point of view would be sad, not because it was a great airline, just one associated to some great childhood memories for me. Some of the stories about aviation there though are "interesting" to say the least.

To no one will we sell, or deny, or delay, right or justice - Magna Carta, 1215

Quoting offloaded (Reply 4):Shame really, as if you fly 8U you can currently get a 3 day transit visa on arrival, so plenty of time to have a look around Tripoli, Leptis Magna, Sabratha etc...

= Is this really true? I have been wanting to go to Libya for a while and cannot find information anywhere on 8U about the same. Libya is not one of those places I'd like to venture and argue my way into a transit visa. For whatever reason, I am OK with doing this in sub-Saharan Africa, but not in Libya.